1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printing system for printing an image by a printing device to which the system is connected over an interface pursuant to IEEE 1394 standard. More particularly, it relates to a printing controlling method and a printing controlling device, a printer device, a printing method and a printing system, in which it is possible to set the quality in printing a text or an image consistent with a user""s request.
2. Description of Related Art
The IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard defines physical and electrical standards of connectors provided in respective interconnected equipment. The respective equipment, having an interface pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard, may be physically interconnected to realize e.g., hot plug and play which automatically sets the high-speed transmission/reception of digital data and interconnection of equipment. So, the IEEE 1394 standard is in widespread use as a standard serial interface reference in the related technical field.
This IEEE 1394 interface is also in widespread use not only in the field of computers but as an interface interconnecting plural AV equipment. Specifically, when a set top box (STB) for receiving satellite broadcast for display on a television device and a printer device for printing an image are interconnected over the IEEE 1394 interface, the STB controls the printer device using a function control protocol (FCP) and an AV/C protocol. The STB and the printer device mount the FCP and the AV/C protocol and are in operation in accordance with an FCP command and an AV/C command.
However, in the printer device having the above-mentioned IEEE 1394 interface or in the STB controlling the printer device, in which there are prescriptions concerning the method for transmitting data representing an image for printing, there are no prescriptions on the printing image quality, such that there lacks a technique for performing the printing with an image desired by the user.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device for controlling the printing, a printer device, a printing method, a printing system and a printing method in which a printing image can be set for printing even in the case of an equipment in which interconnection is via an interface pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a printing control device including picture processing means for processing picture signals supplied from outside to generate picture data, control information generating means for generating the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text for printing by a printer device and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture for printing by the printer device, outputting means for outputting the picture data generated by the picture processing means and the printing control information generated by the control information generating means to the printing device, as the picture data and the printing control information are contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, and picture printing control means for managing control so that the picture data contained in the packet sent from the outputting means to the printer device will be printed in accordance with the printing control information.
In this printing control device, picture processing is executed in the printer device, responsive to the text printing image information and the picture printing image information as set, to effect the printing.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a printing controlling method including processing picture signals input from outside to generate picture data, generating the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text at the time of printing by a printer device and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing by the printer device, outputting the picture data and the printing control information to the printing device as the picture data and the printing control information are contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, and managing control so that the picture data contained in the packet sent to the printer device will be printed in accordance with the printing control information.
In this printing control method, picture processing is executed in the printer device, responsive to the text printing image information and the picture printing image information as set, to effect the printing.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing device including inputting means fed with picture data contained in a packet consistent with the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard and the printing control image information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text at the time of printing and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing, printing means for printing a picture indicated by picture data fed to the inputting means in accordance with the printing control information, and printing control means for transforming the picture data fed to the inputting means into a signal format with which the picture data are printed by the printing means, and for causing printing by the printing means.
In this printing device, in printing the text or the picture represented by the picture data contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard, picture processing is performed for transforming the text or the image depending on the text printing image information or on the picture printing image information as set to effect processing.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing method including inputting picture data contained in a packet consistent with the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard and the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text at the time of printing and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing, transforming input picture data into signals of a signal format for printing and printing a picture indicated by the input picture data in accordance with the printing control information.
In this printing method, in printing the text or the picture represented by the picture data contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard, picture processing is performed for transforming the text or the image depending on the text printing image information or on the picture printing image information as set to effect processing.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing system including printing control device including in turn picture processing means for processing picture signals supplied from outside to generate picture data, control information generating means for generating the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text at the time of printing by a printer device and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing by the printer device, outputting means for outputting the picture data generated by the picture processing means and the printing control information generated by the control information generating means to the printing device, as the picture data and the printing control information are contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, and picture printing control means for managing control so that the picture data contained in the packet sent from the outputting means to the printer device will be printed in accordance with the printing control information, and a printer device including inputting means fed from the printer control device with picture data contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard, and with the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information and the picture printing image information, printing means for printing a picture indicated by picture data fed to the inputting means in accordance with the printing control information, and printing control means for transforming the picture data fed to the inputting means into a signal format with which the picture data are printed by the printing means, and for causing printing by the printing means.
In this printing system, in transmitting/receiving packets between equipment interconnected over the IEEE 1394 interface to print picture data, picture printing in meeting with the text printing information or the picture printing image information is performed on the picture data on the printer device to print the text or pictures.
In still another aspect, the present invention provides a printing method including processing picture signals input from outside to generate picture data, generating the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a text at the time of printing and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing, outputting the picture data and the printing control information contained in a packet pursuant to the IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 standard, inputting to a printing device the picture data contained in the packet pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard and the picture control information containing at least one of the text printing image information and the picture printing image information, transforming the input picture data into a signal format with which the data are printed, and printing the input picture data in accordance with the printing control information.
In this printing method, in transmitting/receiving packets between equipment interconnected over the IEEE 1394 interface to print picture data, picture printing in meeting with the text printing information or the picture printing image information is performed on the picture data on the printer device to print the text or pictures.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a television receiver including a reception unit for receiving picture signals, a picture processing unit for processing the picture signals to generate picture data, a setting unit for setting at least one of the text printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a letter at the time of printing by a printer device and the picture printing image information indicating the picture processing contents for a picture at the time of printing by the printer device, a control information generating unit for generating the printing control information containing at least one of the text printing image information and the picture printing image information as set by the setting unit, and an outputting unit for outputting the picture data generated by the picture processing unit and the picture control information generated by the control information generating unit, in a form in which the picture data and the picture control information are contained in a FCP consistent with the IEEE 1394 standard. According to the present invention, as described above, the picture data and the text or picture printing image information at the time of printing the picture or the text indicated by the picture data are contained in a packet and transmitted in this form to enable the setting of the printing image to effect printing even in case of the equipment interconnected by an interface pursuant to the IEEE 1394 standard.